Plant Cell Structure: Comparing Plant and Animal Cells
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Key concept
Plant cells have all the organelles found in animal cells plus three additional structures: a cellulose cell wall for support, chloroplasts for photosynthesis, and a large permanent vacuole filled with cell sap.
Comparing plant and animal cells is one of the most frequently examined questions in the cells topic. You must know which structures are unique to plant cells, what each does, and why these differences exist. This guide covers both Core and Supplement requirements.
Structures Found Only in Plant Cells
Structure
Description
Function
Cell wall
Rigid outer layer made of cellulose
Provides structural support and prevents the cell from bursting when it absorbs water by osmosis (becomes turgid)
Chloroplasts
Green organelles containing chlorophyll
Site of photosynthesis: absorb light energy to convert CO₂ and water into glucose and oxygen
Permanent vacuole
Large central vacuole filled with cell sap (a solution of sugars, salts and pigments)
Maintains turgor pressure to keep the cell firm. Stores dissolved substances.
Important: Not all plant cells have chloroplasts: root cells are underground and do not photosynthesise, so they lack chloroplasts.
Plant vs Animal Cell Comparison
Feature
Plant cell
Animal cell
Cell wall
Present (cellulose)
Absent
Chloroplasts
Present in green parts
Absent
Permanent vacuole
Large, central, permanent
Small, temporary (if any)
Cell membrane
Present (inside cell wall)
Present
Shape
Regular / rectangular
Irregular / varied
Energy storage
Starch granules
Glycogen granules
Exam tip: When comparing, always state what is present in both cells as well as the differences. Many students only list differences and miss marks.
Turgor and Plasmolysis
The cell wall and vacuole work together to maintain plant cell shape:
Turgid cell: the vacuole is full of water, pushing the cytoplasm against the cell wall. The cell wall prevents bursting. Turgor pressure keeps stems and leaves upright.
Flaccid cell: the vacuole has lost water, so turgor pressure is reduced. The cell becomes soft.
Plasmolysed cell (Supplement): in a concentrated solution, so much water leaves by osmosis that the cell membrane pulls away from the cell wall. The cell shrinks inside its wall. This is the beginning of wilting.
Animal cells do not have a cell wall, so in pure water they swell and can burst (lysis). In concentrated solutions, they shrink and become crenated.
Try a focused question (3 marks)
Explain why a plant cell placed in pure water does not burst, but an animal cell does. (3 marks)
Show the answer and marking guidance
Water enters both cells by osmosis (from a dilute to a more concentrated solution).
The plant cell has a cellulose cell wall that is strong/inelastic enough to resist further expansion.
The animal cell has no cell wall, so it continues to swell and bursts (lysis).
Original Cambridge-style practice written for this site. It is not an official Cambridge past-paper question.
Common mix-ups to avoid
Check these points against your own answer before moving on.
Saying all plant cells have chloroplasts: root cells and storage cells do not.
Confusing cell membrane with cell wall: the cell membrane is present in ALL cells; the cell wall is outside the membrane in plant cells.
Saying plant cells don't have mitochondria: they do. Plants respire as well as photosynthesise.